Systemic inflammatory response syndromes are characterized by an excessive and dysregulated inflammatory response in the host, often triggered by an interaction between a pathogenic microorganism and a host's defense system. Animals and humans that undergo surgical procedures or hospitalization under intensive, e.g., ventilated care, have an increased risk of infectious systemic inflammatory response syndrome that can culminate into septic shock, multiple organ dysfunction, and finally death. Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response syndrome with a confirmed infection. Septic shock is sepsis-induced hypotension that is resistant to fluid resuscitation with the additional presence of hypoperfusion abnormalities. Improved treatments are essential to preventing the progression of systemic inflammatory response syndrome to sepsis and septic shock.
Current treatments for sepsis focus on elimination of infection (e.g., antibiotics) and treatments that stabilize the patient to established physiological parameters (e.g., fluid replacement for hypotension, NSAIDS for fever).
What is needed are alternative and adjunct therapies for the treatment of systemic inflammatory response syndromes, including sepsis.